Chamber hits back at IP bill critics

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce fired back Friday at claims that Hollywood is leading the fight for legislation against so-called rogue sites.

The anti-IP crowd is “tripping all over themselves trying to pretend (and convince others) that legislation against rogue sites is just for the benefit of Hollywood,” Steve Tepp, chief intellectual property counsel for the Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center, wrote in a blog post.

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The Chamber’s comments come after POLITICO reported that Google and the Consumer Electronics Association are reconsidering their membership with the powerful business lobby out of frustration with its aggressive lobbying campaign for a pair of controversial IP bills in the House and Senate.

Tepp argued that anti-piracy legislation enjoys backing from plenty of companies outside of Hollywood. He notes that large businesses— such as Caterpillar, Nike and Major League Baseball — as well as smaller companies want Congress to crack down on sites that peddle counterfeit software, fake pharmaceutical drugs, entertainment content and other American-produced goods.

“The even bigger story is that rogue sites harm businesses and steal jobs across our entire economy,” Tepp wrote. “And that is why the support for legislation to tackle rogue sites has incredibly broad support.”

Additionally, the AFL-CIO, National Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Firefighters and more than 40 state attorneys general have also voiced their support, Tepp wrote.

The PROTECT IP Act in the Senate and Stop Online Piracy Act in the House have touched on a heated policy issue in Washington this year, pitting Web companies against the entertainment industry and other American content-makers. The tech industry argues that the bills would stunt innovation and force them to police sites that host copyrighted content.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 11:10 a.m. on November 4, 2011.